I love the RPG genre. Especially those that involve magic. I was very much disappointed with NW2 because in NW2, player can pause the combat at any time, queue up actions for your main character and the NPCs, and then resume for a couple of seconds, and then pause the game again to interfare. That sort of time pausing micro-manage combat system just doesn't work for me (I know there is an AI option to let the NPCs do whatever they want ... but still ...). I love true real time combat system.

In fact, I prefer RPG that doesn't even have the load and save game option. That makes the adventure a lot more real (also the reason why I enjoy playing HG:L and WoW a lot).

I read somewhere that Witcher uses the NW2 engine (I could be wrong). Could someone share with me what the combat system of Witcher is like? How does the storyline development of Witcher compare to NW2 or even Oblivion?

Cheers.

Im currently on the second act of the Witcher and im loving it. Its like a very dark and satanic version of NWN2 and Oblivion. Its not so much good or evil, more like evil or more evil?

As for combat its quite simple, you have a choice of 2 swords (silver for beasts and steel for humans) and then the option of 3 other weapons (axes, daggers etc.). The only downside with the 3 secondary weapons is you cant use the different 'styles' that you can with silver and steel. The three styles are for different types of enemies, fast, strong and group (all pretty self explanatory!).

Once you draw your sword and select fight style you click an enemy to initiate the first sequence, then nearing the end of the sequence the cursor changes to a fiery sword for a second or two, and after that it goes to a slightly less fiery sword and after that the sequence ends. The aim is to click when the sword is fiery to start the second attack sequence and build up a combo. On harder difficulties the cursor doesnt change for long or at all, so you need to know from the moves Geralt is doing when to click. Its all about timing and the combat animation looks really good so i personally dont find it boring at all.

You also get Signs, i only have 2 unlocked currently but they are quite useful. You select them with 1-6 and right click to use. The two i have either knock enemies down for a finisher or disarm (or knock walls down) or i can spray fire out from Geralt which damages and has a change of setting the enemy on fire.

Combat is fairly simple, but is really fun, although you can actually pause it like NWN2! However in this game all it allows you to do is chose which sign you want to use and tell Geralt to switch weapons when time restarts.

Oh, also alchemy is useful in combat (and far more simple than Oblivion!). Making potions is easy and they can have some sweet effects. One that springs to mind is Blizzard which makes Geralt move insanely fast so you can do a lot more damage and which (i think) makes him dodge more. It doesnt last long to avoid being overpowered but can certainly turn the tide of a fight!

Hope that helps!

The storyline is excellent, a'la Planescape-Torment: Everyone around you is a bunch of morally corrupt self~serving, prejudiced b*$tards who'll do things like burn a (hardly "innocent" ) woman to cover for their own crimes - Like fratricide and selling children for experiments in mutation. Three main paths through the game, plus some combinations. You are forced to take sides at one point or another, but can choose to return to Neutral after that. The story is why I replay it - Better here than Oblivion and NWN2 IMHO. Though if your version of an RPG must include options like being a dual~weilding half~Elf Ranger, then you're outta luck: You're Geralt, The Witcher.

The game engine is HEAVILY reworked from the NWN2 engine - No combat pauses. Combat itself is flashy: Geralt has some really cool moves. And(but??) is timing based, rather than clicking skills like in WOW. So: Click - hack/slash *swish*, click - stab slash kick *swish*, click Aard Spell (Stun/knockback) click again and Geralt jumps up on the shoulders of the now~stunned opponent, and shoves his 2 hander down between the neck and collarbone so far that he penetrates underwear with the tip of his blade, followed by a backflip dismount and flourish.... An experienced gamer would (should?) do a throway 'toon for the tutorial just to get used to it, and then skip to the highest difficulty. Alchemy/potions are useful, and very necessary if you are to beat some encounters in the game on hard, plus a small added factor of managing buffs versus toxicity - Yes, you can poison yourself with buffs... Combat's a little challenging at first, but (IMHO) the skills Geralt can earn are a little overpowered. So combat gets somewhat easier, rather than more difficult, as you progress. There's 50 character levels in the game, but you can expect to finish in the mid~30's.

It's not a free world where you can go anywhere at any time, but each area is of pretty good size and you are free to do quests in whatever order within the context of each 'chapter'. So it doesn't feel all that linear. Just make sure you're done with one area before you move on to the next - you can't backtrack. I've found it best to do the side quests first, and then close the main thread with max experience/levels sicne that's where the hardest boss fights are.


Anyways - I like the game a lot.

yup, uses bioware's aurora engine. but no worries, as mentioned above it was 'updated', and by that i mean its completely unrecognizable in all respects from what people saw with neverwinter. combat is real time, stripped down to simple sound-based cues(graphical cues for easy levels). however, once u invest 3 talent points-out of 5-in a sword style , you'll be too dazed by the sword swinging eye-candy, and carnage, to notice

I would agree with what has already been said. As a suggestion you might want to download the Demo and give it a whirl plenty of content there to give you a good idea of what game play is like, just be warned that Prologue has several cut scenes in that it is also a intro/tutorial. After that they are more spread out and not such an annoyance.

Thanks so much for all your responses! Sounds like something exciting (not too sure about the part on burning not-too-innocent women to cover crime ... ha ha ha). I will definitely download the demo and see for myself.

Have a nice day.

I'm also into the second chapter and must say it's really a lot of fun. And I mean every aspect of the game; gameplay, story, action, fun, very dark homour and sex...

great game although a more free roaming world like oblivion wouldn't go amiss. still, combat took some getting used to but am getting the hang of it and it does have alot of flair to it. alchemy is very useful and the story is good as unlike oblivion, the characters are more believable and things are not so implied but more on the surface like you would expect.

as someone also pointed out, the choices you face are not so much of good or evil but more so the lesser of two evils.

hope you enjoy the demo and give a good try as it has it's rewards.

Oh, one last thing aside from the combat system. I wouldnt advise playing it if you get offended by coarse language etc. Possibly the funniest moments for me are Geralt describing the prison as "abso-f*cking-lutely great" (or something to that effect) and some random thug shouting to me "your mother sucks dwarf c*ck". Great game!

you'd think the 18 certificate would give it away, tbh i ain't sure why it got that, i think it is more for the adult themes and atmosphere rather than anything you can do as such.

anyone know the exact reason for it as it ain't that gory although the coup de grace's can be pretty brutal.

strangestranger, i don't know if you know this or not, but when you have sex with different women, you collect softcore pornographic cards that you can view later on. In the american version these were edited so that no 'private parts' were shown. As far as I know that's the only difference between eu and us versions.

imnotageek, I love the witcher and will gladly vouch for it. Personally, I like it more than oblivion because it is more character/story driven. If you are the type of person who loves world of warcraft/raiding and looting and having all the different sets of armor, the witcher is not your game. You are limited in the abilities you choose and the armor/equipment you carry. However, the art direction is off the charts with this game, and the environments are very dramatic and atmospheric. An artsy feel permeates throughout the entire game. The story is great and everything is just so much closer to reality than it is in oblivion. I found oblivion to be fun, but a tad bit of a letdown...graphics aside, the game was rather generic...the same characters over and over again, the same cities over and over again...and the same quests over and over again ('go find my stolen item and either you can keep it or get paid').

I will verify the lack of free roaming in the witcher. I think there has to be some restriction to keep the focus on the story, but the specifics (ie, can't jump over fences) do get a bit annoying at times. And some of the levels aren't designed too well, and you have to run back and fourth several times.

In summary, The Witcher is a very atmospheric, moody game...it has this great gritty feel that oblivion just doesn't have. Also, if you were thinking about importing the european version for the topless cards, it's a waste of effort...that's the only difference between the two versions.

Hey, thanks for the info guys. You know, from what I read here, I have had a very different impression of what The Witcher is like. Time to download the demo this weekend!

at the green boobs risk of taking on the mantle of devils advocate (and assuming peeps enjoy the demo!) ordering the uncensored version green boobs is quite worth it to some. as a quick google search will reveal, its more than just cards that got the shaft.. u get green boobs to play the game as the artists originally intended. and, um, green boobs

lol, suit yourself!

actually, the certificate on the case warns of strog sex, violence and drugs references so may be that is what got it but i also thought the modd of the game and the moral choices you have to make would ocme into it. i know it wasn't just the level of violence in that manhunt game that got it banned.

I read that the game crashes often in XP when all the settings are set to the highest. Anyone experiencing this?

no.

it's crashed a few times on me, but my comp is so fcuked up i doubt it is the game, really need to reformat but can't be arsed.